1) This is exactly the same thing as Aikido. Neither muscular, "external" means of practice, nor blending like the breeze using no force, are "correct". Both ways are not using Ki.

Generally, I agree. Kihon waza, properly done, in a program that uses and informs them as instances of kokyu tanden ho, are neither.

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Pete Rihaczek wrote:

2) Internal mechanics are not easy to grasp. .... Without explicit research and focus on what is right and what is wrong, making progress is difficult. Not getting it, even with access to someone with real skills, appears to be the norm. The idea of getting it just by repeated practice of external mechanics is beyond ridiculous. It will simply never happen.

Which is why some work on the ACTUAL mechanics might very well be of some help. They do exist, it is not some pipe dream. What is done can be described in this way.

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Pete Rihaczek wrote:

3) The focus of people like Akuzawa, Mike, etc is to try to distill things and/or put them into Western terms so that people with day jobs can hope to get somewhere with this stuff in a reasonable amount of time.

Putting things in Western terms would be nice, but I have not heard their efforts described in those terms, by them or anyone else.